Summer Days
by hprichchick
Summary: Out of middle school! What could be sweeter? There's an entire summer ahead of them. Starting with Ethan's fly summer pool party, this summer is unlike the rest: full of fun, surprises, and romance...But that's as far as I go...Read on!


Ok people, today I decided to start writing a Lizzie McGuire fan fiction, so I did! Well I don't want to keep you waiting, so here goes.

Summer Days

Chapter 1-Last Day of Middle School 

It was quiet. The light bulb was beginning to dim significantly, slowly contributing to the drooping of his eyelids as he thumbed through page after page of his history book. The soft beam of illumination was playing tricks on his eyes, causing him to see words that weren't really there, or piece sentences that didn't exist. He rubbed them vigorously to keep them open. His history exam was tomorrow. The last day of their junior high career; then the summer would be here.  
He glanced at his clock. It read in bright red numbers, 1:03am. The simple realization of how late it actually was made him feel every bit more tired.  
"Just think, Gordo," he said to himself softly. "After tomorrow, you're free for three months. It's summer time. Approximately twelve weeks of the sun, the beach, and hanging out with your two best friends."  
Thoughts of such began to flood his easily-distracted mind...He could see himself, Miranda, and Lizzie all basking in the sunlight on the McGuire backporch, just sitting in the ultimately relaxing beach chairs and sipping lemonade, listening to music with the faint sounds of Matt arguing with his parents about his latest ambition in the background. There would be talks of high school, Kate, and...He shuddered. Ethan Craft. He could see it now. Miranda would comment on a party he was having, and Lizzie would squeal, and they'd both beg and plead and make puppy dog faces in hopes to coax Gordo into attending with them. He would give in, and therefore be subjected to a night of utter boredom, simply to please two teenage girls he just happened to be rather attached to as friends.  
"What a summer to look forward to," he muttered to himself sarcastically. With the fantasies clearly out of the way, now, however, he had plenty of opportunity to concentrate on Washington in the Revolutionary War and the disasterous Boston Tea Party and the Intolerable Acts.  
"The..." Gordo yawned, growing so weary that he began to trail off between words, "...Quartering Act...Allowed any...British...soldier...to stay in any...colonist's home..." He yawned once again, and suddenly the words of the Revolutionary War were all a blur before his eyes, as they fluttered shut.

~*~

  
KNOCK KNOCK. "David! Wake up!"  
This interruption was a major disturbance to Gordo's well-deserved night of heavy slumber. "I'm up," he slurred. He didn't move. Then, with a sick smack of reality, he remembered his exam. Without opening his eyes, he snapped up his head, only to hit it on the long burnt-out desk lamp. "Ow!"  
"Are you all right, David?"  
"I'm fine," he called back, scrambling to his feet. In disgust, he realized he was still wearing his same clothes he had worn to school just yesterday. Who was he, Larry Tudgeman? He glanced at his clock. It was seven-thirty. School started in a half an hour.  
He rushed to his closet and tore open the door, nearly pulling it off its hinges, racing to gather clothes for his day.  
"Elizabeth will be here in about fifteen minutes, David," his mother called again. "Get a move on."  
This rushed Gordo even more. He grabbed the first clothes he saw (he didn't particularly care what he wore, as long as it was clean) and made a mad dash for the bathroom to jump in the shower.

~*~

  
Lizzie stood before the bathroom mirror, carefully tracing her lids with the eyeliner pencil posed delicately in her right hand.  
"Lizzie McGuire!" yelled Matt, popping up unexpectedly behind her. She gasped and went off course with her pencil, making a nice black path to her hairline.  
"Leave me alone, you little toad!" she snapped, making a swipe behind her to hit her brother.  
He popped up on her other side, holding a hairbrush in one hand like a microphone. "Tell me, Ms. McGuire, how do you feel about going to high school, where you will be the scum of the Earth and lower on the food chain than Lanny's pet rat?"  
"About the same as you'll feel in about ten seconds if you don't get that hairbrush out of my face," she warned.  
"Oh, sis, so hostile. How will I ever jumpstart my career as a news reporter if my own family refuses to recognize my true talents?"  
"It's kind of hard when you don't _have_ the talents!" she replied. "Now get out of here, I'm getting ready for school."  
"Such a temper. Us news reporters always get the backlash," he said with a sigh. And with that, he left the bathroom, leaving Lizzie to scrub away the black mess on her face that he had caused.  
"I can't wait until _he_ gets to high school," she muttered to herself. "Gordo, Miranda, and me will be seniors and we will show him no mercy."  
She had had thoughts about high school before. Mainly when Gordo had gone there for a day. He told them he'd sell them his elevator passes cheap. Thank God. She couldn't afford to spend ten bucks on an _elevator pass_. Good old Gordo.  
"Today's only the last day of eighth grade," she reminded herself, finishing up on her face. She smiled. "Although...It's no crime to look forward to the future..."  
"Lizzie! Are you almost ready?" called Jo from downstairs.  
"Yeah, mom, just gotta gloss." She ran the lip brush over her mouth and blotted, then closed the bottle. "All right, I'm coming." She opened the bathroom door and grabbed her stuff, rushing downstairs to see Matt at the table with a bowl of oatmeal, clearly ignoring it and instead making an attempt at interviewing his father on what he was reading in the newspaper.  
"Your breakfast is getting cold," Jo explained, gesturing to Lizzie's own bowl of oatmeal.  
"Eh," she muttered, "I think I'll pass, Mom. I'm running late as it is. I gotta go meet Gordo."  
"Well...All right..." said Jo in resignation, removing the bowl from the table.  
Lizzie felt immediately guilty for not appreciating her mother's consideration, and instead compensated with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you after school."  
This seemed to cheer Jo up just as well, as she sported a smile for her only daughter. "All right. Are Gordo and Miranda coming over?"  
"Of course, it's a last-day-of-school tradition," Lizzie replied. She slipped on her flowered sandals. "Later, Dad. Bye, Toad."  
"Goodbye, Your Nastiness," Matt replied. "So, Dad. The Sports Section seems to be a popular piece of news for you. Care to explain why?" He then thrust his unused spoon right _through_ the newspaper, and nearly up his father's nose.  
"Well, I most of the time like it in one piece," said Sam, examining the new hole that was now in his newspaper.  
"Sorry about that, Dad. A reporter's gotta do, what a reporter's gotta do. We go to any length to get a story."

~*~

  
DING DONG!  
Just in time, Gordo thought to himself, spitting out his toothpaste and rinsing his mouth. He grabbed his backpack, stumbled into his shoes, and skidded into the door.  
"Hey Gordo, you ready to go?" asked Lizzie, tucking her hair behind her ear in efforts to make herself look perfect for the big day.  
"As I'll ever be." He called goodbyes to his parents, who replied in a similar manner, and was out the door with Lizzie. "Did you study for the history final?"  
Lizzie scoffed. "Did I study. Gordo, honestly, what do you take me for? I mean, did I _study_? What good student wouldn't? I mean--"  
"I take that as a no?" he deadpanned.  
"Yeah, basically," she agreed. "What about you? Wait, why am I asking?"  
"Of course, of course," he beamed. "A full mind is a healthy mind."  
"Fell asleep at the books again, didn't you?" she deadpanned this time.  
"Like a baby," he agreed in defeat.  
"There's Miranda," said Lizzie as they approached the corner where they were to meet their third friend. She waved excitedly to her best friend, who returned the gesture.  
"Hey, Lizzie, nice outfit, Ethan's sure to notice that skirt!" Miranda chirped.  
"Really? You think so?" asked Lizzie excitedly, smoothing down the material.  
"Ethan's so dumb he couldn't remember his middle name last month. Remember?" Gordo asked, in a mad attempt to drop the topic.  
Lizzie cringed in remembrance. She recalled Ethan scratching his head and looking at the teacher, dumbfounded, and saying, "My mid-wha?"  
"Anybody could make that mistake," argued Miranda.  
"Depends on the company you keep, I suppose," Gordo mocked. Miranda smacked him upside the head. "Ow."  
"That one was coming to you," Lizzie explained to Gordo. The three laughed good-naturedly.  
"I can't believe this is our last day of middle school," said Miranda in awe. "Do you realize what this means?"  
"High school next year," Lizzie quipped with a grin.  
"High school isn't as great as you may think," Gordo warned. "Remember, I went there for a day earlier in the year."  
"Don't rub it in," Miranda cringed.  
"But in high school, we will have upper classmen boys all around," Lizzie explained. "We won't even have to _look_ at Ethan Craft."  
"Yeah," said Miranda dazedly.  
"Oh, please," said Gordo. "Freshmen are considered the scum of the Earth; the upper classmen boys won't look at you until at least your sophomore year."  
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Gordo," said Lizzie. "And you sound like my brother."  
Gordo shuddered at the thought of immaturing about three years with one comment to Matt's level. "Thanks for catching me on that one."  
"No problem," said Lizzie, as they walked into the building.  
"Hello, _children_," said Kate, as she and her posse approached the trio. "I don't suppose you've been invited to Ethan's _cool_ summer pool party."  
Gordo could hardly believe his ears. A piece of his daydream about summer had come true. Now he would have to listen to Lizzie and Miranda talk about Ethan's party for at _least_ a week...And if they happened to get invited, for about a _month_.  
"Ethan's having a--?" Lizzie began.  
Miranda interrupted. "Of course we were invited. What makes you think we wouldn't be?" she challenged.  
"Well, seeing as it's a _cool_ party...I suppose we could mix social groups. Like, charity," said Claire.  
"Nice one," said Kate with a giggle, and high fived Claire, which they followed up with a snotty flip of their hair. With that, they walked off, shaking their behinds.  
"Miranda, Ethan didn't invite us," Lizzie argued in a panic. What if Ethan really didn't invite them? And Kate found out that they lied? Then their high school careers would be miserable. Kate would never let them live it down. She would never--  
"He will," said Miranda with an air of confidence.  
"Oh, and how can you guarantee that?" Gordo questioned.  
"If he doesn't...We'll just show up," said Miranda, halfway stuttering to come up with a plan.  
"How will _that_ work?" Lizzie asked.  
"Listen, Ethan will have like, a billion people there. He's not gonna look at us and remember not inviting us."  
"She's got a point," said Gordo. "It won't even occur to him. He'll be too busy staring in the mirror and winking at his reflection to make sure it winks back."  
"Enough with the Dumb Ethan jokes," said Miranda, smacking Gordo upside the head again, in which he provided the same response he had last time she inflicted such pain.  
"So you're saying we just sneak in?" Lizzie asked, as they walked into their history class and took their respective seats.  
"Hey, you know what they say: All's fair in love and Ethan." At this, both girls squealed excitedly.  
"Oh, please," Gordo groaned. "It's going to be the longest summer of my life."

~*~

  
"That exam was hard," commented Miranda after school had gotten out. The three were seated at a table in the Digital Bean, waiting to be served.  
"I told you both you should have studied. I found it quite easy."  
"You would, Gordo," Lizzie replied. A waitress named Charlene approached the table, seemingly new to the job. But she was friendly. She took their orders (Lizzie had ordered a strawberry smoothie and onion rings; Miranda, a chocolate shake and fries; and Gordo, a big cold cut trio sandwich and a large Pepsi.)   
"This summer is going to be the best," said Miranda excitedly, folding her napkin into what appeared to be an origami crane. "And the perfect start is Ethan's party."  
"Ethan this, Ethan that...Can we please change the subject?" pleaded Gordo.  
"What, getting jealous?" Lizzie teased.  
"No, just ill."  
"Here you are," said the waitress, having returned within a few minutes. She gave them their appropriate orders and walked off.  
"Looks like she's happier with this job than I was," Lizzie laughed.  
"At least somebody finds it enjoyable," Gordo agreed.  
"So what's the first thing you plan to do tomorrow on the first full day of summer vacation?" Miranda inquired.  
Lizzie grinned. "Well, I had in mind that I would wake up at around one in the afternoon, eat ice cream for breakfast, watch Boy Meets World in my pajamas, lay out in the backyard and get myself a tan, and then, go to the mall."  
Miranda squealed into her chocolate milkshake. "Sounds awesome. Gordo?"  
"I'm helping my Dad with some paperwork, then I'm babysitting my little cousins, Joshua and Jasmine."  
"Jasmine and Joshua are coming into town?" Lizzie demanded with glee. She was practically in love with Gordo's six-year old twin cousins.  
"Oh no, you're not coming over this time, McGuire. Last time I babysat the twins for the weekend, you only contributed to their mess."  
"Oh, please, I'll help this time," Lizzie begged. "Please Gordo? Pleeeease?"  
He sighed. "Fine, fine, I suppose. But you _have_ to help me."  
"I will, I promise."  
"Miranda?"  
"No can do," she said. "It's a mother/daughter bonding day for me and Mom. First we're going shopping, then we're going to a Day Spa, and then, finally, we're going out to dinner at Bosco's."  
"Oh, that sounds fun, Miranda. I hope you two have a good time," said Lizzie.  
"Trust me, we will. I'm looking forward to it."  
The three finished off their orders and cleaned up their spots, being sure to tip Charlene, and retreating into the outdoors again, where the sun beat down upon them like an oven. They walked to Lizzie's house, still talking of summer plans and such. Lizzie began to ponder over what she should bring Joshua and Jasmine the next day.  
"Jasmine would like that one doll...And Joshua wanted that monster truck he saw on TV over Spring Break...Yeah...I think I have enough money to pull that off..."  
"Jasmine and Joshua are trouble-makers," Gordo insisted. "Don't buy them anything. It only encourages them."  
"They are not trouble-makers," Lizzie argued. "They're precious."  
"Define 'precious'."  
As they approached her house, they heard voices and screams coming from the backyard. Exchanging puzzled looks, they made their way back there, through the sliding door and onto the porch, to see Matt in a suit, with a microphone, Lanny with a camera, Melina on the ground pretending to choke to death, and the cheesy sound effects of a siren blaring through the stereo by her head. "Here I am, star reporter Matt McGuire, at the accident site, where a mother purposely poisoned her own daughter!" Matt said excitedly, gesturing to Melina.  
"Your room?" Miranda deadpanned to Lizzie.  
"Uh, duh." The three walked back into the house and shut the door like nothing happened, and headed for the stairs.  
"Lizzie, what's that siren noise?" Sam asked, fixing himself a sandwich in the kitchen.  
"It's Matt being Matt," she replied, as they headed into Lizzie's room.  
Once up there, Gordo settled into the desk chair, where he usually sat, and Miranda collapsed onto Lizzie's neatly made bed, staring up at the ceiling with a sigh of content. Lizzie sat on the end of the bed and picked up a teddy bear, setting it in her lap as something to play with.  
"So, what do we have on the activity menu today?" Miranda asked, sitting up.  
"Well, I figured we'd just chill outside and Mom could make us some lemonade, but, Matt's out there."  
Gordo rolled his eyes. He knew his friends too well; which would explain his predictions from the previous night beginning to come true.  
"Want to rent a movie?" Lizzie asked.  
Miranda jumped at the opportunity. "Yeah! I've been dying to see that new horror movie. You know, Fang 2?"  
"No way, no how. I hate werewolf movies," Gordo argued.  
Lizzie and Miranda glanced at each other and grinned, then turned back to Gordo. "What, chicken?"  
"What? No, of course not. I just think they're stupid. Especially the Fang movies. Did you know that the director is only nineteen? A complete amateur."  
"Bawk bawk, bawk bawk."  
"Oh, come on," Gordo argued. "Let's grow up, shall we? We're highschoolers now."  
"Please, Gordo, I want to watch Fang 2," Miranda pleaded.  
"Yeah, Gordo, c'mon," Lizzie agreed.  
Gordo gave an almighty sigh of defeat. "Why I hang around with you two, I'm not sure I'll ever know."


End file.
